


Never Change

by phantomhive3108



Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types
Genre: Drinking, F/M, Hanged Man, Kirkwall, Midnight, Mischief, Swimming
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-15
Updated: 2016-02-15
Packaged: 2018-05-20 18:53:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,603
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6021106
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/phantomhive3108/pseuds/phantomhive3108
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Happy Follower Appreciation to the lovely and talented eravalefantasy! Winner of my 2nd Place Prize (1500 word DA fanfiction) in my giveaway. Thank you for your support!</p><p>One-shot Kirkwall piece, early Act 2 (DA2) featuring Mila Hawke and Anders (the couple that should have been but never were). This is a happy go-lucky flashback (pre-Fenris) and canon to Bloodied & Faded.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Never Change

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Eravalefantasy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eravalefantasy/gifts).



“And THEN! Just when we thought the beast was felled…” Varric paused for effect, his voice dropping to an eerie whisper. “We hear rumblings coming from inside the corpse.” Eyes widened and breaths were held. “Hawke stepped towards the beast, her staff still firmly lodged in its throat…. The rumbling turned into shaking… The stomach began to bulge… Hawke reached for her staff and THEN-”

Hawke leapt on the table, making every one jump and roared. “A MILLION GROSS DRAGON BABIES EXPLODED OUT OF THE MOTHER’S BELLY!!!” The audience bawled in disgust. “And there was sludge EVERYWHERE!! HAHA!”

Mila’s drink sloshed as she swayed on the table. Anders reached out and propped her up from beside the table. 

“Woah there, fierce dragon slayer!”

“Tell them, Anders! Tell them how I fought off the hordes of fire guzzling monsters!”

She swayed precariously again. 

“Yes, yes. You are brilliant, valiant and undefeatable but you might want to come down before gravity defeats you.”

“Oh leave her up there! I’m rather enjoying the view!” Isabela called from the bench where she lounged, legs draped over her latest conquest and ale in hand.

Mila snatched her hand back and risked a twirl, which she completed with surprising grace considering her inebriety. That said, the surrounding crowd got thoroughly soaked by the flying ale from her mug.

“I’d like to point out, I once again didn’t get to finish my story.” Varric added from the sidelines.

Hawke scrambled off the table and grabbed the dwarf in a bear hug. “Oh, Varric. I’m so sorry. Will you ever forgive me?”

“How could I ever stay mad at my leading lady?”

“Haha! Did you hear that Bela? Lady! I’m a lady!”

“Ah, it’s overrated, trust me!” The effeminate boy between her legs was now firmly latched onto her throat. 

Hawke went to take a sip from her tankard and was shocked to find it empty. “Who the hell drank my drink?”

“That was definitely you.” Varric enlightened.

“Awww… That’s a shame.” Gravity took hold again but this time the table saved her before Anders could.

“Oops! Ok, there we go. Careful.” His hand grabbed her firmly by the elbow and the other slipped around her waist to counterbalance her. “Maybe we should get you home.”

“Maybe you should get me a drink.” She grinned and booped his nose.

“I’m voting for home.”

Varric nodded his approval of the idea. Luckily Isabela was far too caught up in other matters to protest her friend’s departure.

Mila threw her arm around his shoulder and continued to use the other prod him. “Yes, but Anders if we leave…” She paused, her train of thought lost. “Oh yeah! If we leave… How will the barman know where to bring my drink?”

“I’m sure he’ll figure it out, Hawke, don’t you worry.” 

Her face took on one of those childish pouts she tended to think was cute when she was drunk. “Promise?”

Anders sighed, trying to concentrate solely on keeping her upright rather than her physical proximity. He was trying really hard.

“Promise. Now can we go?”

“Fine! Lead the way, my prince!”

He chuckled before using his strength the lever her forward and towards the Hanged Man’s front door.

The air outside was warm and humid and devoid of any breeze. It made clothes stick to your skin, armour unbearable and the trademark stench of Kirkwall take on an even more acrid undertone than usual. Thus, stumbling out of the rowdy crowded alehouse, was barely a relief for either of them. Even so, Anders felt glad to be away from the alcohol and chaos. 

Mila, on the other hand, hardly noticed the change. As soon as they were out, she dashed from his arms to skip merrily down the streets, thankfully in the direction to her house. She chanted as she went, bouncing off the walls every time she lost her balance.

Anders chased her like a precious parent but she put all her effort into staying out of reach, finding this new game hilarious.

“Catch me if you can!” She laughed as she dashed in a wonky line across an open courtyard.

“Mila! Wrong way! Mila!”

She disappeared down a darkened alleyway and he upped his pace. He followed her laughter through a maze of narrow streets until her voice disappeared. He panicked.

“Mila! Mila! Where are you? Mila!”

He abruptly turned a corner only for her jump out at him.

“BOO!”

He stumbled back.

“Maker’s ass, Mila! Don’t do that.”

She doubled over, laughing hysterically. “Your face! Ha! Priceless!”

“Yeah, yeah! Alright. You’ve had your fun now, come on.” He reached out for her arm again. 

“Aw, you’re no fun. Come on, let’s go do something like…”

He watched patiently as the cogs turned in her head but his stomach churned uncomfortably when her eyes finally widened as it came to her.

“Got it! Come on!”

This time she grabbed his hand and tugged him hard as she started off. One thing about Hawke was that no amount of alcohol could throw off her sense of direction. She led them through Kirkwall’s streets, slowly working their way up to the nicer parts of town.

Anders slowly got more apprehensive as they moved past her home in Hightown and kept moving forward. 

“Mila, where the hell are you taking us?”

“You’ll see! It’ll be great!” She turned and gave him a mischievous grin. “And refreshing.”

“And what?!”

She pulled him along faster instead of answering. They finally stumbled into the one of the towns’ grand squares and Mila finally released his hand.

“What are we doing here?”

She laughed him off and walked forward towards the square’s crowning glory. “What do you think? We’re going for a swim.” 

She lifted her shirt above her head and tossed in to the side before hopping clumsily on one leg to pull off her knee high leather boots. Her bum landed on the side of the fountain as she lost her balance, allowing her to pull the other boot off.

Anders watched in stunned silence as she stripped down to her undergarments.

“Come on, sleepy head!”

“You’re kidding right…?”

She climbed up onto the side of the fountain, standing, hands on her hips, in her underwear.

“Do I look like I’m kidding?”

Anders hesitated, his eyes darting around to the grand mansions that surrounded the square, half out of concern someone would see them and half because he was desperate to avoid looking at Hawke in her altogether.

“Last one in is a nug-sucking loser.” She sung from her pedestal.

“Ugh! Fine.” He walked up to the fountain and shed his robes, his feather shoulder pads thankfully absent due to the hot weather.

He glanced around once more before climbing up beside her.

“How deep is it?”

She shrugged. “Waist height, I think?”

“Oh good. You first then.”

He pushed the small of her back forward and she shrieked as her feet tumbled forward. It was indeed waist height. It was also fucking freezing.

“OH NO YOU DIDN’T DARE!”

Anders laughed as he gently lowered himself into the water beside her.

“That’s for scaring me earlier.”

“Oh, hah hah. So funny.” She swung her arm under the water to send a wave crashing against his chest. He flinched as the cold washed over him. Once the initial shivers subsided he began to revel in the relief the water gave him from the muggy evening.

Mila lowered herself backwards into the water until it reached her chin. She instantly felt refreshed and considerably more sober. She closed her eyes and smiled.

“Maker, that feels so good!”

She paddled backwards towards the stream of water that gently cascaded over the upper lip of the marble fountain.

She ducked her head under and stood back out. She pushed the errant bangs from her face and ran her fingers through her short hair.

“Your hair’s grown.” Anders commented as he floated peacefully in the water, watching her.

“Yeah, I’ll have to ask Merrill to give me another trim.” She tugged at the longer strands of her pixie cut feeling them reach her jawline. “Ugh, I mean it’s practical but it grows out so quickly…” Her face lit-up as if she had had the most brilliant idea. “Maybe I should grow it out. Be more lady-like and all.”

Anders got back to his feet. “I like it like that.” He offered her a shy smile, which set the butterflies in her stomach fluttering. “It suits you.”

For a moment her brain contemplated genuinely engaging with the compliment but just as quickly as the thought came to her, it left.

So she raised an eyebrow at him. “I think you just want to be the only one with luscious locks. Huh? I’m onto your game, Anders!” Another splash went his way.

He laughed and splashed her back. “I’m not worried about any competition! Have you seen my hair?” He whipped the sodden locks over his shoulder. 

“OH you-!”

The water hit her square in the face. They proceeded to battle it out like children until they were both breathless and clutching their stomachs from the pain of laughing too much.

They eventually climbed out and rested on the fountain side as the warmth of the evening air dried their soaking forms.

“I haven’t laughed that much in a long time.”

She threw him her signature grin. “Keep up with me and it won’t be the last.”

He chuckled, too caught up in the moment to think that things would ever change from what they were right there and then. 

“Never change, Hawke.”


End file.
